Help with Laminitis

[buttercupp]

My small mare started with symptoms at the end of May. Took her over to Dr. Molesworth and had x-rays done. She recommended reverse shoes, which we had done and she was fine for 2 weeks, but she started getting stiff in the front about a week and half ago. Any advice or tips would greatly appreciated. TIA

 

[fredsaid2]

Sorry to hear about your mare. One thing is to keep her off grass particularly at night when it can have the highest carb load. If she has to be out get a grazing muzzle. Isn't it something that the one food source we think of as completely natural can be deadly??

Here's a link to a good explanation....

SmartPak Equine - Laminitis

 

[devinej]

laminitis takes more than a couple months to get over. make sure she's not on grass, get her weight down as much as you can. bute might help if she's in pain. make sure she's on a low starch, low sugar diet.

 

[covekat]

Reverse shoes are kind of old school... there are much better options out there, I would contact a good farrier, (dont know who you use, so dont want to offend) and get another opinion...

 

[DQ2B]

What did the x-rays show? Is there rotation? How close to the sole is the coffin bone, i.e., what thickness is the sole? What is the general condition/form of her hooves? What do you feed her, is she overweight? You might try boots with pads for now.

Check out some of the articles at Pete Ramey hoof care heals founder in horse’s navicular disease farrier

 

[buttercupp]

What did the x-rays show? Is there rotation? How close to the sole is the coffin bone, i.e., what thickness is the sole? What is the general condition/form of her hooves? What do you feed her, is she overweight? You might try boots with pads for now.

Check out some of the articles at Pete Ramey hoof care heals founder in horse’s navicular disease farrier

There is some rotation in the left front. She is on just hay for now, Dr. Molesworth is coming out on Thursday to take a second look at her. She didn't seem to concerned about her weight.

 

[happyappygirl]

Sheila Montgomery. >>click Talking Hooves About Us <<here
She has a lot of real honest to goodness education in equine hoof care, not just farrier's school, and she continues to grow and learn. She specializes in re-habbing too. She knows her stuff. I just had her out to my place for our near leopard filly who has a nasty coronet injury and subsequent quarter crack, she's very good with educating the owner on self care between if you want to do that. My hubby happens to be a hoof care fanatic and she's been super helpful to him.
She'll be coming back to repair the crack now that we've had X-rays done.

 

[erinjograves]

I had a little pony boarded with me for a while that had laminitis. I had to take her completely off grass for quite some time, I switched her to Beet Pulp Only with 1 ounce of Buteless 2 times a day. This worked wonders for her. When the vet cleared her to go out on a little grass, we got the wonderful lifesaving muzzle! Best thing ever!

That actually make a special feed for laminitis horses now. But I will always trust the beet pulp. She got 1 cup of shredded beet pulp in the am and pm. I soaked it over night for the morning feeding and during the day for pm feeding. (it helped that I had a fridge to let it sit in) Right before feeding it to her, I put in 1 ounce of Buteless at each feeding for the first 2 weeks, then 1 time a day from then on.

Good luck with your mare! I will be routing for you guys! Keep us posted on her!

 

[beachplum]

There is some rotation in the left front. She is on just hay for now, Dr. Molesworth is coming out on Thursday to take a second look at her. She didn't seem to concerned about her weight.

Welcome to the laminitis roller coaster ride buttercupp. We've been on it with our mare for over a year and a half now. Unfortunately you are now a life member...but you are not alone.

You NEED a good support team. Vet and Farrier have to work together well. Get her to Upenn/New Bolton or Univ of Mary/Va Equine center in Leesburg VA. We relied on a local vet for well over 6 months. She had a relapse for no reason that our vet could detect. We took her to UPenn. We wished we had gone there first. You need a good farrier who can use rads to trim and a vet who truly knows about laminitis. It is so important. Cost a bit in the beginning but your mare will turn around faster in the long run. Our mare had rads taken every other trim to look at the rotation and break over line. Read everything you can about laminitis. Dr. Joyce Harman has great advice on herbals etc and get those shoes off her as soon as possible. Barefoot is better in the long run and get a good pair of hoof boots that will help during those bad days. (She will have them so be patient. When her hooves are really hot a good ice bath up to her knees will help. On the days I didn't have a lot of time, I presoaked size 6 diapers in water and put them in my freezer. Tabs make is so easy to wrap around all of her hooves quickly and I could wrap one around each of her legs too. Worked wonders.

I switched our mare to Triple Crown low starch pellets. Best thing we did and only grass hay. (Last years if we could get it as it has less carbs. No grass grazing for the rest of her life or treats. Even though her initial lamimitis was not due to over eating, the high sugar content in grass can push her over the edge and have another episode so you have to watch her constantly. If your vet says she can graze go read everything you can at safergrass.org. Different weather condidtions produce higher sugar content in grass so you need to be up on all types of weather and times of day.

It has taken our pony a year and 1/2 to grow out 3/4's of her hoof. (a long painful journey for all of us to watch and her to deal with) but she is finally back on track. This is not inexpensive by any means to heal her so as I said before have the best team that you can afford who work well together.

We got over the first major hurdle after three months of lots of trims and rads. Pony could barely move after each trim so hoof boots or closed cell foam pads taped to her hooves were the norm and gave her great relief. I also gave her chewable probiotic tablets from the local health food store when she was on long courses of bute to help her gut. (Last thing you want is another issue ontop of the laminitis.) Becareful to work her too soon. Give her time to heal. You don't want to go back to square one.

Depending on her condition this could take well over a year, so hang in there and know that your mare will be one of the lucky ones to have someone like you who is not afraid to ask questions. Don't stop and again read everything you can.

It will get better, and the pads will work wonders.

You and your mare are in our prayers.Hang in there.

 

[happyappygirl]

Welcome to the laminitis roller coaster ride buttercupp. We've been on it with our mare for over a year and a half now. Unfortunately you are now a life member...but you are not alone.
It will get better, and the pads will work wonders.
You and your mare are in our prayers. Hang in there.

AWW now THAT's a very nice (and knowledgable!!) post!

HEY!! the eastern shore? Where?? We lived in Easton and Trappe all our lives until coming here! My daughter lives in Cordova (her horse is in Trappe at our old place) and is always looking for folks to ride with!

 

[celestialtimes]

laminitis

Hi!

I too have a horse that suffers from Laminitis...He is a mustang. He got it due to carbohydrate overload. When I got him he was 1400 pounds...should have only weighed 900-1000. I've had him for over a year and this year, we noticed some lameness lameness and immediately pulled him off the grass this spring. We turned him out during the day and brought him back in at night.

We'll always have issues with his feet, but the spring is the worst.

We feed low carb pellets to him as well. He doesn't need much. He is finally able to be turned out with his friends 24/7...but it was a long spring.

Celeste

 

[buttercupp]

Hi!

I too have a horse that suffers from Laminitis...He is a mustang. He got it due to carbohydrate overload. When I got him he was 1400 pounds...should have only weighed 900-1000. I've had him for over a year and this year, we noticed some lameness lameness and immediately pulled him off the grass this spring. We turned him out during the day and brought him back in at night.

We'll always have issues with his feet, but the spring is the worst.

We feed low carb pellets to him as well. He doesn't need much. He is finally able to be turned out with his friends 24/7...but it was a long spring.

Celeste

Vet came out today now she has an abcess in the right front. But her laminitis has improved since her last exam. Thanks everyone.

 

[beachplum]

Vet came out today now she has an abcess in the right front. But her laminitis has improved since her last exam. Thanks everyone.

Abscesses are very common after an onset of laminitis especially when you have rotation. (Part of the roller coaster ride.) Epsom salt soaks work really well. Hope your farrier is coming to look at her soon. Too much pressure on the frog can cause abscesses too especially with reverse shoes. Is she on stable rest in deep shavings?

 

[IntegritysDream]

My small mare started with symptoms at the end of May. Took her over to Dr. Molesworth and had x-rays done. She recommended reverse shoes, which we had done and she was fine for 2 weeks, but she started getting stiff in the front about a week and half ago. Any advice or tips would greatly appreciated. TIA

my pony just got dianosed with mild laminitis and mild navicular and my vet (dr miller)told me to put natural balencer shoes on.. Dunno if those would help your mare any.

 

[BlissfulJumper]

my pony just got dianosed with mild laminitis and mild navicular and my vet (dr miller)told me to put natural balencer shoes on.. Dunno if those would help your mare any.

My first horse had a slight nuvicular change. Dr. Miller couldn't detect it and I had to go Leesburg and my horse had to have eggbar shoes put on and pads. NO JUMPING! Due to the jumping fact I had to sell him

 

[IntegritysDream]

yea. Im looking for a new horse anyways, hes just gonna be a low level dressage pony till time to retire him. its very very slight, and people are like oh put shoes on him and he will be fine, but what i read about naviciular it will progressivly get worse and the more stress you put on it (ex JUMPING) the worse it gets and the faster it gets worse, and i couldnt do that to him knowing it causes him pain and plus i want to make him last!! They said it would be ok if i jumped under 2ft and just occasionally, but not jump everyday or over 2ft, which i havent been doing for a while now anywho with everything going on. hes probably had navicular for a while, its just been "inactive" as they say.. or unknown cause this is the first time in 2yrs (the time ive had him) hes been lame/off.

He also has gravel trying to working out of a toe as well, and the laminitis could have been flared up by that. When we got him he was 1200 pounds and he should have only been 800-900 (which he is now) and due to the whole grass thing, hes only out 3hrs a day, gets very little grain, and is in pretty fair amount of work. He loves his turnout schedual though. He waiting at the gate when we go to bring him in. But hes been on stall rest, no grass, pultices, bute and 2 different meds till his pulse goes down... then off to try shoes.